3.
HTML5, Native & Hybrid
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT HTML5
“I think the biggest mistake that we made, as a company, is betting too much on HTML5
as opposed to native… Because it just wasn’t there…” (Facebook, September 2012)
“Hybrid mobile apps are the future of app development” (Nick Heath in CIO Insight, February
2013)
“Mobile apps will soon be dead.” (Brian Kennish, former Google engineer, May 2011)
“Native Apps are dead, long live Native apps!” (Dan Yoder, CTO at Border Stylo in Slashdot,
June 2011)
“All the problems [of mobile web] can be solved if Apple, Google, Microsoft and the rest will
just stop shutting out HTML5″ (Dan Rowinski at Mozilla, November 2012)
“HTML 5 is the way almost all applications will be built, including for phones.” (Eric
Schmidt, February 2011)
Everyone has a different opinion about the best mobile app solution and some people dismiss
apps entirely.

4.
HTML5, Native & Hybrid
JUST TO GIVE A FEW EXAMPLES AMONG BIG BRANDS AND MEDIA:
Facebook rebuilt their apps from scratch as native apps
Linkedin had a HTML5 hybrid approach and recently went native for its mobile apps
Twitter had fully native apps from the start
Instagram is a native app that wouldn’t work otherwise
Bloomberg replaced their native apps with hybrids to improve speed to market of updates
ESPN builds all their apps with native because they consider it a requirement for great sport
apps.
In conclusion it’s a confusing world and there are no common right and wrongs! On the
other hand there is usually is a best solution for each purpose and that’s what we will
focus on in this blog.
WHAT ANALYSTS ARE SAYING
According to Forrester and Gartner enterprise apps are seeing rapid growth in hybrid and HTML5
app development which leads us to believe that the majority of apps will be hybrid or HTML5
apps in the coming years. According to Gartners mobile app landscape for 2015 this is what the
split will look like:

5.
HTML5, Native & Hybrid
A mobile website is the basis of any mobile presence and the
HTML5 has vastly imporved the user experience and richness of
mobile web, but cutting edge innovation comes from mobile apps
thanks the fast phase of development from APPLE, Google,
Microsoft and others.
HTML5 COMMITMENT.
The mobile vendors have already embraced HTML5
Apple created Webkit, a complete open-source HTML5 rendering engine, that is the heart
of the Safari web browser used in all products.
“It looks to me like HTML5 will eventually become a way almost all applications are built,
including those on new phones”-Eric Schmidt,Feb 2011
“Our commitment to support HTML5 and Adobe AIR development has resonated and
spurred developers to create fun and innovative applications for Blackberry Playbook
users”- David Yach(CTO)
“IE9 is a great example of bringing assets together from across Mocrosoft to improve the
windows Phone experience. We need to give people, that full web,the full internet….like
they expect with the PC”-Steve Balmer
HTML5 FORECASTS
Its early days but HTML5 will be huge.
There are currently 100m real HTML5 enabled phone/tablets(ABI)
There will be one billion HTML5-capable phones sold in 2013(Strategy Eye)
There will be more than 2.1 billion mobile devices with HTML5 browsers by 2016(ABI)

7.
HTML5, Native & Hybrid
HTML5 web apps can be installed from the web as icons on your home screen across any
phone.
Developers like HTML because it is a familiar language to most of them.
HTML5 apps don’t have to share revenues with APPLE, Google or Microsoft.
HTML5 CONS
Why HTML5 might not be a good idea.
Still a work in progress. Has not yet been standardized.(The W3C expects official completion
of the HTML5 set of standards in 2014 and final recommendation by 2022)
Without app store visibility, your app won’t get consistent visibility through web that it can
through app stores.(Only good for apps that don’t depend on app stores for visibility)
Fragmentation- It isn’t really cross platform yet: Differences across platform for fonts, form
widgets, video encoding, cache size, screen resolutions.
A rethink of the UI is needed to work cross platform.
Native UI- Almost impossible to deliver a native UI experience.
To successes in an ever-changing market your app should keep up with the newest coolest
hardware of the devices- meaning a native app.
WHAT ABOUT HYBRIDS?
The hybrid approach can help bridge the gap between native and HTML5.
Frameworks can help build a “cross –platform, native like” web app.
Frameworks, Sencha Touch, jQuery Mobile, jQTouch and Titanium.
Deploy a Web app inside a native wrapper. The easiest way to do this is via Phone Gap.
“We know from painful experience that letting a third party layer of software comes between the
platform and the developer ultimately results in sub-standard apps and hinders the enhancement
and progress of the platform”
Steve Jobs

9.
HTML5, Native & Hybrid
HTML5 Conclusion
So should you build your app using web technologies?
No, if you are invested in native technologies already and don’t need to expand to new mobile
platform, stick with native.
No, if your app is complex and highly interactive- or if any performance issue is going to drive
the nuts- consider native.
Yes, if you’re app is fairly simple functionality and you are ok to compromise somewhat on the
user experience and design.
Yes, if you’re targeting multiple platforms, or your expertise is largely Web-Centric and if
you’re willing to spend some time optimizing, than web technologies are preferred.
And always consider a mobile website as a compliment to any mobile app.
Yes, for the apps with limited budget that need to work across multiple platform and browsers.
NATIVE APPS
When Apple launched the iPhone appstore in 2008 Steve Jobs had previously talked about how
great web apps were. Obviously he could never have envisaged how big mobile apps would
become at the time but the simple fact is that native apps immediately outperfomed web apps in
terms of functionality, user experience and performance and have ever since. One proof of this
is that almost 80% of all time spent on accessing content and services through mobile devices is
through apps vs 20% through mobile web. {Check stats from previous blog and link to this}
So what are the pros and cons of native apps?
Pros:
Performance is better on native apps and will continue to be for the foreseeable future since the
app platforms evolve faster than the browser
Native apps provide more flexibility in designing and developing the user interface and thus a
richer overall user experience
Security features are stronger on native apps
There are a lot more device features available including integration of the camera,
accelerometer, bluetooth, contacts, calendar and 200+native development components for iOS
and Android such as 3D support, image and video editing, notification centre, voice
recognition, maps and more.

10.
HTML5, Native & Hybrid
CONS:
Appstore approval rules and waiting times (especially for Apple)
Appstore revenue share for premium content (games, subscriptions, etc)
SO WHEN SHOULD YOU DEVELOP A NATIVE APP?
The app concept clearly benefits from the capabilities of a native app (e.g. Instagram)
Ongoing engagement using notifications is a requirement to keep customers engaged and up to
date (e.g. Facebook or Linkedin)
Security requirements such as encryption of content and authentication requires native app
functionality
Being on the appstore is a key requirement to distribute the application (e.g. enterprise or
consumer appstores)
HYBRID APPS
Combining native app development with web development is by no means a new concept.
Symbian offered this early on, Palm WebOS was entirely based on this principle and Samsung
Bada also heavily depends on this. iOS and Android has enabled websites to be embedded in
apps since the first releases and improved this experience over time. Therefore any app using
webview could be considered a hybrid app. For the purpose of this blog the definition of hybrid
apps is an app developed using a cross-platform tool or combining native app development with
web technology within the code of the app. The leading cross-platform development tools
currently include Phonegap and Titanium.
PROS:
Enables web developers to develop mobile apps without native app development skills
Allows apps to be developed using HTML5 combined with proprietary code that will enable to
app to run across multiple platforms
Lower maintenance cost as changes can in theory be done once and applied to multiple
platforms

11.
HTML5, Native & Hybrid
CONS:
To make hybrid apps look as good as native apps across multiple devices require just as much
development work if not more than native development
User experience and performance will usually be a compromise
Phonegap and other cross-platform tools will always be behind the native app development
platforms in terms of functionality
Lock-in / dependency on a cross-platform tool can be costly long term
SO WHEN SHOULD YOU CHOOSE HYBRID APPS?
Willing to compromise on UX for speed to market and cross platform support
Only have access to web developers
Appstore upload is a requirement
Requirement on ongoing changes to the application logic
Limited budget for cross-platform support
Mobile web services without an API and therefore requires webview (common requirement for
payments to avoid PCI certification for apps)
Conclusion
Native, Web App, or Hybrid: Which Should You Choose?
Each of these types of apps has their advantages and disadvantages, let’s summarize them here.
Device features. Although web apps can take advantage of some features, native apps (and the
native components of the hybrid apps) have access to the full paraphernalia of device-specific
features, including GPS, camera, gestures, and notifications.
Offline functioning. A native app is best if your app must work when there is no connectivity.
In-browser caching is available in HTML5, but it’s still more limited than what you can get
when you go native.
Discoverability. Web apps win the prize on discoverability. Content is a lot more discoverable
on the web than in an app: When people have a question or an information need, they go to a
search engine, type in their query, and choose a page from the search results. They do not go to
the app store, search for an app, download it, and then try to find their answer within the app.

12.
HTML5, Native & Hybrid
Although there are app aficionados who may fish for apps in app stores, most users don’t like
installing and maintaining apps (and also wasting space on their device), and will install an app
only if they expect to use it often.
Speed. Native apps win the speed competition. In 2012 Mark Zuckerberg declared that
Facebook’s biggest mistake had been betting on the mobile web and not going native. Up to that
point, the Facebook app had been a hybrid app with an HTML core; in 2012 it was replaced
with a truly native app.
Installation. Installing a native or hybrid app is a hassle for users: They need to be really
motivated to justify the effort. “Installing” a web app involves creating a bookmark on the home
screen; this process, while arguably simpler than downloading a new app from an app store, is
less familiar to users, as people don’t use bookmarks that much on mobile.
Maintenance. Maintaining a native app can be complicated not only for users, but also for
developers (especially if they have to deal with multiple versions of the same information on
different platforms): Changes have to be packaged in a new version and placed in the app store.
On the other hand, maintaining a web app or a hybrid app is as simple as maintaining a web
page, and it can be done as often or as frequently as needed.
Platform independence. While different browsers may support different versions of HTML5,
if platform independence is important, you definitely have a better chance of achieving it with
web apps and hybrid apps than with native apps. As discussed before, at least parts of the code
can be reused when creating hybrid or web apps.
Content restrictions, approval process, and fees. Dealing with a third party that imposes rules
on your content and design can be taxing both in terms of time and money. Native and hybrid
apps must pass approval processes and content restrictions imposed by app stores, whereas the
web is free for all. Not surprisingly, the first web apps came from publications such as Playboy,
who wanted to escape Apple’s prudish content censure. And buying a subscription within an
iOS app means that 30% of that subscription cost goes to Apple, a big dent in the publishers’
budget.
Development cost. It’s arguably cheaper to develop hybrid and web apps, as these require skills
that build up on previous experience with the web. Client often find that going fully native is a
lot more expensive, as it requires more specialized talent. But, on the other hand, HTML5 is
fairly new, and good knowledge of it, as well as a good understanding of developing for the
mobile web and hybrid apps are also fairly advanced skills.
User Interface. Last but not least, if one of your priorities is providing a user experience that is
consistent with the operating system and with the majority of the other apps available on that
platform, then native apps are the way to go. That doesn’t mean that you cannot provide a good
user experience with a web app or a hybrid app–it just means that the graphics and the visuals
will not be exactly the same as those with which users may be already accustomed.